Foot-supporting attachment for desks, &amp;c.



H. V. POLLARD.

FOOT SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOR DESKS, &c. APPLTCATION FILED use. 2.1915.

Patented Oct. 31, P316.

UNTTED STATES PATENT orrron.

HENRY v. POLLARD, OF WEST soivrnnvrnnn,MASSACHUSETTS.

FOOT-SUPPORTING ATTACHMENT FOB, DESKS, 860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY V. POLLARD, a subject of the Dominion ofCanada, residing at West Somerville, in the county of 5 MiddleseX andState of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inFoot-Supporting Attachments for Desks, &c., of which the following is aspecification. This invention has for its chief object to ena'bleastructure such as a desk to be provided with a pair of foot restslocated at opposite sides of the leg-receiving space under the top andbetween the ends of the desk, the rests being so arranged that the userof the desk may change the position of his feet and legs by elevatinghisfeet above the floor and thus obtain relief from the fatigue inci dentalto long sitting with the feet resting on the floor.

The invention is embodied in a foot-supporting attachment having thecharacteristics hereinafter described.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis; specification:Figure 1 represents a front view of a portion of a desk having a pair offoot-supporting attachments embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is aperspective view of one of the said attachments; Fig. 3 represents aside view of one of the attachments and a portion of the guide rod onwhich it is mounted, said parts appearing as viewed from the left of theline 3--3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 represents a plan view showing a modifiedform of attachment and guide rod, the latter being attached to the desk;Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 represents aperspective view of another modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts in allthe views.

In the drawings, 0 represents the leg-receiving space of a desk, saidspace being located imder the top 7) and between the end portions 0, 0.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is represented by Figs. 1, 2and 3. Referring to said figures, 12 represents an elongated bracket,which may be formed as a casting or otherwise, and is adapted forconnection with a vertical portion of the desk forming one end of thespace a, the outer end of the connected bracket projecting into theleg-receiving space, as shown by Fig. 1. Said outer end is formed as aheeli l l 1 i Serial No. 64,695.

Said foot rest, which is suitably elevated above the floor, ispreferably trough-shaped, presenting a concave upper side conforming.approximately to the curvature of the rear portion of the heel, andinclined down wardly from the edge nearest the front side of the desk,as clearly shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 3.- The lower edge of the inclinedportion of the rest is preferably provided with a stop 13 adapted tobearon the tread face of the heel (Z, and limit the movement of the heeltoward the rear of the space a. The. concave form of the rest enables itto prevent sidewise displacement of the heel in either direction. Itwill be seen therefore that the rest is adapted to support a boot orshoe heel above the floor and against displacement in difierentdirections. As the connecting means in the embodiment of the inventionnow being considered I have provided a horizontal guide rod 14 havingears 15 at its ends, which are perforated to re-' ceive attaching screwswhereby the rod may be secured to a vertical portion'of the desk, theears 15 being offset inwardly from the rod. The inner end of the bracket12 is provided with a runner 16 embracing and adapted to slide on therod 14, said runner as here shown being a tubular portion of the brackethaving a bore loosely encircling the rod. To maintain the bracket withits heel rest end suitably projected, I provide the inner end of thebracket with a downwardly projecting car 17 which is in sliding contactwith the vertical portion of the desk to which the rod 14 is attached.

The bracket is enabled by the described connecting means to stand atvarious distances from the front of the desk, so that it may be adjustedin accordance with the length of the legs of the user. Owing to the factthat the foot rest portion projects outwardly from the plane of the rod14, the weight of a foot resting on the bracket causes the runner 16 tobind on the rod 14, so that when the bracket is once adjusted it is notliable to be accidentally moved from its adjusted position.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a modification, the ear 17 being omitted and therunner designated 16 being formed to embrace a guide rod 14 which isangular in cross section, the rod being therefore adapted to slidinglysupport the bracket in its projected position without contact between anpart of the bracket and the desk.

In case the described adj ustability of the bracket is not desired, theinner end of the bracket may be provided with an integral car 19, asshown by Fig. 6, said ear being provided with holes for screws wherebyit may be attached to a vertical portion of the desk.

As shown by Fig. 1, when two of the described attachments are provided,one will be formed with reference to a right and the other to a leftboot or shoe.

The invention is not limited to use with a desk, and may be used withany other structure adapted to support the bracket and permit its use inthe manner described.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, anelongated bracket having means at its inner end engageable with saidstructure to hold the outer end of the bracket projected therefrom, saidouter end'being formed as a heel rest.

2. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, anelongated bracket having connecting means at its inner end engageablewith said structure, and formed at its outer end as a heel rest, saidconnecting means having provisions for permitting a limited slidingmovement of the bracket.

3. As a foot supporting attachment fo a structure such as a desk, anelongated. bracket having a runner at its inner end and a guide embracedby said runner, and adapted for attachment to said structure, thebracket being formed at its outer end as a heel rest, means beingprovided for holding the said outer end projected from said structure.

4. As a foot supporting attachment for a structure such as a desk, anelongated bracket having a runner at its inner end and a guide embracedby said runner, and adapted for attachment to said structure, thebracket being formed at its outer endas a heel rest, the inner end ofthe bracket being formed to slide on said article and hold the said heelrest projected therefrom.

5. A foot supporting attachment comprising a guide rod adapted to beattached horizontally to a structure such as a desk, and an elongatedbracket having at its inner end a runner embracing and adapted to slideon said rod, and an ear adapted to slide on said structure and hold theouter end of the bracket projected therefrom, the said outer end beingformed as a heel rest.

In testimony-whereof I have affixed my signature.

HENRY V. POLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i

